A Melkite Catholic bishop has announced plans to begin ordaining married men to the priesthood in the US, bringing an end to a longstanding agreement.
Bishop Nicholas Samra, who was installed in August as head of the Melkite Eparchy of Newton (which spans the entire US), said that he would ordain married men to ease a shortage of priests serving the Melkite Church in America.
The Eastern Catholic churches allow for the ordination of married men to the priesthood. But in order to avoid confusion and conflict, the bishops of the Eastern churches agreed to refrain from ordaining married men in the US. Although that agreement is not codified in canon law, it has held for nearly a century. Some married men have been ordained in the Middle East and later served in American parishes. But the Eastern Catholic bishops continued their moratorium on ordaining married men in the US.
As Roman Catholics became more accustomed to seeing married clerics—primarily because of the rise in the number of married deacons, but also because of married Anglican priests accepted into the Catholic clergy—Eastern Catholics have argued that the old constraints should no longer apply.
In December 1996, Bishop John Elya—a predecessor of Bishop Samra as head of the Melkite eparchy—announced without fanfare that he had ordained a married man to the priesthood. That break from the old agreement caused no noticeable public backlash, and now Bishop Samra has given advance warning that he will ordain other married men to the priesthood.
Bishop Nicholas Samra, who was installed in August as head of the Melkite Eparchy of Newton (which spans the entire US), said that he would ordain married men to ease a shortage of priests serving the Melkite Church in America.
The Eastern Catholic churches allow for the ordination of married men to the priesthood. But in order to avoid confusion and conflict, the bishops of the Eastern churches agreed to refrain from ordaining married men in the US. Although that agreement is not codified in canon law, it has held for nearly a century. Some married men have been ordained in the Middle East and later served in American parishes. But the Eastern Catholic bishops continued their moratorium on ordaining married men in the US.
As Roman Catholics became more accustomed to seeing married clerics—primarily because of the rise in the number of married deacons, but also because of married Anglican priests accepted into the Catholic clergy—Eastern Catholics have argued that the old constraints should no longer apply.
In December 1996, Bishop John Elya—a predecessor of Bishop Samra as head of the Melkite eparchy—announced without fanfare that he had ordained a married man to the priesthood. That break from the old agreement caused no noticeable public backlash, and now Bishop Samra has given advance warning that he will ordain other married men to the priesthood.
